Happy 2014 everyone! I’ve been a bit absent on my blog lately but for good reason. Music has been so good to me over the last year and I can’t wait to finally share my new single, The Way You Love Me, on Valentine’s Day.

Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting an acoustic version of The Way You Love Me, followed by the official music video in February.

It’s also that time of year again for Snackin’ with Sarah Sellers. Yahoo’s Lyndsey Parker has asked me to join her again during Season 13 of American Idol. So make sure you follow my blog so you don’t miss out on this year’s recipes!

When I first started doing covers on YouTube a few years ago it was a pretty simple process. Sit down in front of my webcam, sing to a track, save and publish. Then I started incorporating piano, a better camera and my OCD. When the hallow room sound wasn’t working for me I switched to GarageBand then eventually upgraded my camera to a Canon Rebel T3i.

As the “upgrading” continued so did my OCD and need to perfect every video. When Jessie J released her newest single Wild off her upcoming album Alive in May I instantly knew I wanted to cover it. I sat down with my producer Josh and said I wanted to do a quick, in the studio, acoustic video that week. I didn’t want to miss out on capitalizing on the current buzz. When he listened to the track he heard more than an acoustic version and came up with an entirely new remix of the song. I fell in love with the track and wanted to do more with the video than just singing in front of a mic….and then the shooting and shooting and reshooting began.

The moral of this story is 6 months later and a serious check on my OCD I eventually went back to my original idea of shooting in the studio. It’s so easy to get caught up in the cover world of competing with the slew of YouTubers for the best video that you can lose sight of how blissful simplicity really can be. So after months of experimenting I’m excited to put this out there and move on to the next thing….which I’m excited to announce will be the release of my first single. I’ve been working with the super talented Josh Goode and Bradley Prakope for over a year on my original material and I’m so excited to release my first single in the next few months.

Check out my new video and get ready for some original music SOON! XOXO

A year after their major label release, Night Visions, Imagine Dragons show no signs of slowing down. With a world tour booked through December the Las Vegas based quartet is having the best year of their career. Coming off the heels of mega hits like “It’s Time”, “Radioactive” and “Demons”, Imagine Dragons is in no hurry to rush into the studio to record their sophomore album.

“I think ‘Night Visions” has a lot of breath and life left in it,” frontman Dan Reynolds tells billboard.com. “I think it’s going to go on for a little while more. And we’re having a problem where we keep saying, ‘Alright, we’re going to take, like, a month off’ and then we get an offer to play throughout South America and wherever else. We know we have all these fans waiting for us to play there, so we can either take that month off or go play for those people, and we just keep saying ‘yes,’ for better or for worse. And it’s probably for better because we get to take our music to more places. There’s no rest, but we’ll save the rest for when we’re old and gray and try to do everything while we’re still young and have the means to be able to do it. We know this is a gift, and we really, really do appreciate it.”

With over 148 million YouTube views and a slew of covers, Imagine Dragons fans are definitely feeling the love. From playing 6-hour sets in casinos on the Las Vegas strip to sold out venues all over the world, Dan Reynolds, D. Wayne Sermon, Daniel “Z” Platzman, and Ben McKee are enjoying their success on the road.

“This is what we live for as a band, playing to an audience that’s never seen us before,” Reynolds says.

The boys will be playing two sold out shows at the South Side Ballroom in Dallas this weekend and I have two tickets to give away for Friday’s show. All you have to do is leave a comment below with the name of your favorite Imagine Dragons song. For two additional entries head over to Facebook and follow the band and tweet this post with the hashtag #nightvisionstour. The winner will be announced on Thursday. Good luck!

Well hello my lovely readers, it’s been too long. The world of music has officially sucked me in and it’s not giving me back! I’ve been busy singing until I literally can’t sing anymore and trying to keep up with all the amazing pop music coming out this summer.

Since I gave up the desk job in April I’ve had the pleasure of performing with some of Dallas’ best musicians on a weekly basis. It’s been such a growing and amazing experience to share the stage with such exceptional talent and have the opportunity to tune my own skills. To say it’s been a challenge at times is definitely an understatement. The voice is a finicky mistress and she just flat out tells me when she’s done, at times right in the middle of a performance. I’m definitely learning a massive amount of control and endurance during my performances that will hopefully make me a better and long lasting performer.

Aside from performing every week I’m still chipping away at the writing machine. Growing up as a singer I always dabbled in writing but never considered myself a strong lyricist. This last year working with my production team has taught me so much about the art of a good song. It continues to push me and I’m excited to put some quality work out to the world.

So while I continue to write, record and perform I’ll keep having some fun behind the camera making videos for you guys. This video by far was the most fun I’ve had. What started as a Sarah Sellers “typical” cover idea – video, mic, guitar and singer – turned into a new track and a new series I’m starting called the Backyard Sessions. Why not right? So check out my latest cover of Katy Perry’s Roar and check back for my cover of Jessie J’s Wild VERY soon!

Jay Z just released his new album, Magna Carta, and I am loving his collab with JT on the track Holy Grail! When I heard it I instantly thought it would be cool and different to mash it up with JT’s Mirrors. So check it out, share it with your friends and let me know what you think!

Summer has officially arrived in Texas and it’s hot as hell. The usual heavy culinary fare doesn’t really satiate my palite in the 100+ degree, super dry temperatures so I try to stick to lighter snacks. I made these delicious little treats a few months back and thought they would be perfect for a summer snack by the pool.

The watery cucumber pairs beautifully with the ripe avocado and chicken salad. The only reason I minced the bell pepper for a garnish was to bring some color to the pics but it topped off the dish perfectly!

To say the last few months have been crazy is a major understatement. Since my last post I’ve quit my day job, become a full time musician and joined an amazing team at Lyric Marketing to help satiate my marketing side. It’s been the most satisfying move I’ve ever made and I couldn’t be happier. Now it’s just time to take that time management course.

It’s been too long since I’ve posted a new video and the second I heard this song I new I wanted to cover it. I’m joined again by my amazing producer and guitar player Josh Goode! So check it out and give me some love by sharing it with your friends!

What song should I cover next? Let me know in the comments field below.

Mmmmmmm quesadillas! Nothing says comfort quite like toasted tortillas filled with gooey cheese, meat and veggies. So for tonight’s homecoming episode of American Idol I thought I make them extra homey with my cheese crusted quesadillas!

I stumbled across this idea online and honestly have never thought about sprinkling cheese on top of a quesadilla and dayyyyum…they turned out super tasty! The creamy avocado mixed in with the cheese, chicken and veggies turned out to be quite the delicious combo.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened.

Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and chile powder and sauté until the mushrooms have turned a deep golden brown.

Add the garlic and spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat.

Wipe the pan clean and reduce the heat to medium.

Place a few tablespoons of cheese on half of a tortilla and top with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Top with a tablespoon of tomato and a few avocado slices. Fold the other half over and lightly press.

Heat the quesadilla on one side for 2-3 minutes until warm. Flip over and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Flip back over to melt the cheese, forming a thin cheesy crust, and repeat on the opposite side.

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus is one of my favorite appetizers so I thought I’d mix it up a bit and serve it with a zesty dipping sauce.

It really doesn’t get much easier than this. Season the asparagus, wrap it up, pop it under the broiler and you have a delicious appetizer in under 20 minutes! The lemon dill sauce is one of my favorite Paula Dean recipes and tastes AMAZING with her crab cakes!

Tonight’s Idol theme is “Then & Now” so I decided to put a new spin on a classic recipe.

I love deviled-eggs. Pretty much anything egg related satiates my appetite and these turned out absolutely delicious! I forgot to sprinkle the finished product with paprika but I didn’t miss it at all. If you end up with a lot of extra egg mixture it would be delicious as an egg salad sandwich the next day!

Place the eggs in a medium sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil then cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Lightly shake the pot to crack the shells.

Peel and slice in half.

Place the yolks and half the egg whites in a food processor. Dice and reserve the remaining egg whites.

Add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of chives to the food processor.